Sweet Home New Jersey
by xoxButterflysTornadoxox
Summary: AU McDanno. Steve McGarrett restarted his life in Hawaii as a cop; after getting engaged to his girlfriend, he finds out he never got divorced his childhood sweetheart. Now he has to go home to Jersey and face the music but will Danny sign the papers? Steve's not the only one who's changed in 12 years. Inspired by Sweet Home Alabama.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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"Will_ you boys be careful?" Ms. Williams shouted at the two boys who ran past her. _

_"Ma! Tell Steve to leave me alone!" the young blond whined. Steve only laughed in response, chasing his friend faster and almost making him trip over a rock. Danny yelp, "_Steven!_"_

_Once the boys had disappeared around the back of the house, the mother's on the porch laughed into their coffee mugs. "I swear, those two are going to be friends for life," Ms. McGarrett grinned. _

_"Either that or married." Molly corrected, making her Doris hum in agreement. Just then, a clap of thunder went off, making her groan. "Whenever they bicker, I swear. Boys! Don't stay out too late, it's gonna storm!" she shouted as the mother's headed inside; they were positive their sons wouldn't care about some lightening or thunder anyways. _

* * *

_The ten year olds fall onto the sand laughing, or Steve did while Danny groaned and wheezed for air. Steve pushed his shoulder and rolled him onto his back, "Oh, come on Danny, I was only playin' around."_

_"Playin' around? Our Ma's think we like each other...can't ask me to kiss you, Steven."  
"Why not?" Steve grinned when Danny glared at him. He knew exactly what to say to get what he wanted. "Oh, come on, Danno. One little kiss; one the cheek if you're chicken," the shorter of the two bolted up from the ground. _

_"Chicken? I am_ not _chicken!" Danny huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Steve stood up, brushed the grass stains off his knees and mimicked Danny's stance. He cocked an eyebrow in the air and waited for him to continue. "I um..." a pride grin spread on Danny's face as he came up with an idea and raised his chin, "If you want to kiss me, you're gonna have to marry me." there was no way in hell he'll do that, Danny thought. _

_Steve thought about it for one second before shrugging, "Fine."  
"Fine?" Danny's eyes widened. "What do you mean fine?"_

_"I'll marry you, Danno." he stepped closer to his friend with a smile. Danny stuttered.  
"You don't want to marry me, Steven."_

_"Sure I do," he grinned brightly; it was the only thing shining through the dark storm sky. Danny felt his heart race when Steve lowered his head closer to his, "Then I'd get to kiss you any time I want."_

_"You're a goof..." Steve shut him up with his lips. It was Danny's first kiss ever; the best kiss ever, with his best friend. It was cut short when lightening striked right at their feet, making them jump apart and fall to the grass. Danny screeched while Steve laughed, "...you planned that!"_

_"I planned the lightening?" the dark haired boy was laughing so hard he was holding his side. Danny thought it was the best sound in the world; he couldn't help but laugh back and roll over to his friend's side. "How'd I do that, Danno?"_

_"I don't know, you just did?" Danny shrugged sheepishly. "Does lightening shrike the same place twice?"_

_Steve frowned, "I don't know, why?"_

_Danny just grinned, "Cuz..." he was about to kiss Steve again when the lightening striked right between them._

* * *

The house looked exactly the same as the last time he was here; a little more worn down, like it hasn't been given the love it deserves, but it still oozes home. Steve pushed back the feeling and takes his sunglasses off the bridge of his nose. The old German Shepherd barking on porch makes him want to smile, but the man walking out of the house makes it disappear.

"Oh, shush, you old lug. Stay down," Danny pats the dog's head, making him lie down on the rioting floor. The sun's hitting his eyes, not as bright as it would in Hawaii but obviously bright enough that he can't tell who's on he's lawn. "What can I do for you?"

Steve huffed with his hands on his hips, "Well, for starters, Danno, you can get your sensitive ass down here and give me a divorce."

If he were close enough, Danny would have fallen down the stairs, "Steve? What the...when did you...?"

"Two hours ago," Steve got the papers out from the back of the car, "and I've got another plane to catch in an hour, so let's get this over with." Danny scuffed when the other man laid out three copies on the silver car's front. Steve flipped the first copy open and waved it towards the house, "See? My lawyer even put pretty little tabs on them so you don't get confused."

When Danny started coming down the stairs, shaking his smirking head, Steve knew it wasn't to sign the papers. It took everything he's got not to throw them or something heavier at that puff on top of the younger man's head. "Let me get this straight: you come here after over a decade demanding I give I sign your divorce papers for what? For kicks? Because you asked oh so nicely? What? No, 'Hi, Danny, recognize me; I'm your husband! Looking good, babe.'"

With the cool Jersey air, and the dog barking over Danny's ranting, it felt like 12 years ago; half of Steve wanted to kiss the other man senselessly. But the rest of him knew better, hated Danny for not signing the papers when he should have.

"Hi, Daniel," Steve gave him a cold smile, leaning in close and held the papers between their faces, "Now sign the papers."

"Do they have no respect where you've been?"  
"You know where I've been, Danny; don't pretend you don't. And what's with the ranting, acting like you missed me; if you had so much, you could have done something about it," the dog barked from behind them, catching Steve's attention. Something was different about him; there wasn't a dark mark on his left ear like there was before. "That's not Jovi...what happened to Jovi?"

Danny's hand fell from the back of his neck, "He died in quarantine process a few years back."  
"Quarantine? What the hell was he doing in quarantine?"

"What does it matter? You weren't around," Danny pushed the papers back into Steve's chest and marched back up to his porch. Steve was too stunned about Jovi being dead to notice him walking away until he was opening the door.  
"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Get back here, Danny," Steve followed up the porch, making the dog follow.

"I'm leaving; you should recognized it, you've done it a few times," he tried slamming the door in his face, but Steve caught it.

"Look I flew all the way here, I'm trying to be civil about this; why do you always have to be so damn stubborn? Just sign the papers and I'll go home," Steve promised. He had hoped to be on the way to the airport already, but of course Danny wouldn't agree with him.

"Home? That's not a home, that's an island," Danny poked his chest, "I bet your dad doesn't even know you're back huh?" Steve's eyes widened.

"That's my concern Danny, you leave that alone."  
"Baby, he's the only family you've got on this whole wide planet." he said with his hands waving. Steve felt his neck heat up and tightened his nails into his fist at his side.

"Don't you 'baby' me, babe!"  
"Talk to your Pap, and we'll talk. Tell then, get the hell off my porch!" Danny demanded; he's had to watch that man sit around with no family at all because Steve left. Danny was the one who had to keep an eye on him because his son wanted more out of life than Jersey. But not anymore; Steve had the guts to come back, then he can make amends with his father.

Steve was about to speak when the breeze of the door hit his face. "Danny! You god-damn Jersey...guido!"

"Oh!" Danny threw his hands up on the air on the other side of the door.  
"You just won't sign the papers because you can never do anything I ever want you do!"

"No," Danny rested his hands on the door frame, "The reason I won't sign is because you've become some island loving...pineapple eating son-of-a-bitch and I would like nothing more than to piss you off!" he waved goodbye before putting the shade down and walking away.  
"Daniel!" Steve shouted through the door. 'God, he'll be the death of me,' Danny groaned as he got a beer from the fridge.  
"Goodbye, Steven!" his heart was still pounding in his chest as he cracked open the beer. He couldn't believe Steve was back in New Jersey, on his porch and...fuck, in his house? "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Shouldn't leave a key lying around, Danny," the tan man held the key up with a small smirk.  
"Maybe my husband shouldn't have hide it from me!"

Steve sighed heavily as he put the divorce papers down the couch-still the same as when he lived here-and the key on top. Obviously he isn't leaving anytime soon; he shouldn't have expected this to be a fast trip. "I'm not you're husband, Danno. I haven't been for 12 years; I was just the first person to follow you under the bleachers."

"Hmm." Danny smiled from his spot against the counter. "You were the only person who followed me under the bleachers," if he weren't so damn tired, Steve would have smiled. Instead, it just made him sadder.

"Danno...please? Please, just sign the papers. I'm not that guy anymore." The Jersey cop pushed off the counter with a swing of his beer.

"Then let me remind you."  
"What are you doing? Put the phone down, Danny...that isn't funny." all Steve could do was watch as his childhood best friend and high school sweetheart unplugged the house phone and took his cell with him into the bedroom. "Who you callin?"

"That's my concern!"

Steve rubbed his hands over his face and through himself down onto the couch. The dog moaned beside him, "Of course it is...sorry, boy." one stratch behind the ear had the dog's head on Steve's leg, "At least someone still like's me. You'd sign the paper's right?" the dog growled. "What do you know? You're a dog."

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_**A/N: I was watching Sweet Home Alabama today, and their bickering just reminded me of McDanno. I don't know, this was easier to write than a Hawaii Five-O version of Serendipity. Should this be a One-Shot? REVIEWS PLEASE!**_


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